The Venezuelan Day Parade

Today was the Venezuelan independence day. Every year they commemorate this day with the president watching over a military parade pretending that we have some sort of military might when in reality we probably are more similar to Seinfeld's version of the Puerto Rican day parade. I spent some time of the day fantasizing about some sort of Anwar Sadat episode that would free us from one of the worst presidents in our history but Matias quickly snapped me back to reality.

My day started at 2 AM this morning. I was afraid that on my first day I would not hear him cry as I sometimes do and Alegna would have to wake me up, but I heard him! So far, so good: pick him up, calm him down, prepare a bottle and feed him. BAM! Done in 30 minutes, back to sleep!

Alegna wakes up at 5 AM, gets ready for her first day of work in 3 months, so she obviously does what every loving mother would want to do every morning, she kisses Lucas and Matias goodbye. Lucas does not notice but Matias definitively does. She gives me an "it wasn't me" face and leaves. Now I'm stuck with a crying baby at 5:30 AM. After many iterations of feeding, burping and changing diapers he finally goes back to sleep at 7, Lucas's usual waking up time. I'm exhausted so I just collapse on my bed waiting for the dreaded "Daddy! Is it morning yet?" that comes every day like clockwork. But not today, today Lucas was a real pal and he gets up at 8. I yell from my room that yes it is morning and that he can get off his bed. He goes to the bathroom, pees, flushes and washes his hands all by himself like a champ and comes into my room. He asks for mom and starts to cry when he realizes she's back to work, but I bribe him with my phone and the offer of some youtube videos. I pass out again and wake up an hour later. He's still watching videos so I convince him to go have breakfast. Pancakes and popcorn is his request and I decide that it is not as unreasonable as usual so I abide and he devours it. Matias wakes up, he's happy so we all get dressed and we are off to daycare.

In the car Lucas asks why Matias is coming, I usually drive him by myself but today that is not an option. He is concerned: Matias is too little for school and they might hit him. I tell him that older brothers should defend their little brothers, he replies "Yes I will get really really mad if someone hits him!". Drop off at daycare is fine and I get home just in time for Matias's feeding. The rest of the day goes without a hitch, he eats his food, I get to watch some TV and walk around the neighborhood as I planned. There is no mess on the kitchen, everything is in the dishwasher and all the bottles he used are clean. I was supposed to buy some baby formula with some coupon from Target that Alegna left me but I don't think saving $5 off is worth risking my successful day so I stay home. I pass out on the sofa until Alegna and Lucas get here and I can officially say I survived my first day!

What did I watch?
Zabriskie Point a Michelangelo Antonioni film with terrible unlikable characters and an implausible story but that is surprisingly still watchable. It focuses on some one dimensional revolutionary counterculture hippies in their fight against a caricature of a greedy businesman. It does have one of the weirdest sex scenes I have ever seen though.

The Road to Hong Kong the last one of the Road to... series starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, it is basically the same movie with the same types of gags as the other 6 (of which I have seen 4 already) but it works for light entertainment. I found the scene at the 7:36 mark of this video particularly funny.

So that's it! I survived my first day. One down, 60 more days to go. I think I'm going to be fine.